Since four women founded the nation’s first Boys’ Club, the Dashway Club, in Hartford in 1860, women have played a critical role in our organization’s history. Today, as the Boys & Girls Clubs celebrates 161 years of building GREAT Futures, women continue to play a vital role in shaping the lives of Hartford’s youth. The need to invest in, inspire and empower the next generation of young women leaders in our Clubs through SMART Girls has never been more important. SMART Girls is a health, life skills and empowerment program designed to help girls (ages 8-18) build self-esteem and a sense of self-worth. Through the program, girls build decision-making skills, learn about proper nutrition and develop positive relationships with peers and adults. Help us honor the incredible contributions that women - past and present - have made to our Clubs and celebrate the young lives transformed by SMART Girls.